The two things we have been waiting so long for will be out today in Patch 3.10! However, you might not have expected such a solution to 5-stacks feature.
So, Patch 3.10 only comes with two things. It's not much, but these two things will make Valorant nothing like before, especially when it comes to Ranked Play. First of all, the new Agent we have been waiting for since June; the almighty Chamber. And secondly, 5-stacks are now available! We have been waiting for this feature for a very long time, but unfortunately, it didn't come out in the form we expected. What do we mean by that? Let's dig a little deeper into these patch notes and talk about it!
Chamber Is Out!
Okay, we will finally have access to Chamber today. This is what all players have been waiting for, not just ranked play enthusiasts, especially with how Riot hyped his release for months with all these map easter eggs and teasers. And come on, this 2-week delay has caused Valorant players to be even more excited about him. As with any Agent, you can unlock him by completing 5 Tiers of his contract or purchase him for Valorant Points. You will be able to play him in absolutely any mode, on any map, no limits there.
- Will he be worth playing though?: Will Chamber Be The Best Sentinel Agent?
5-Stack Ranked Games
We already knew about the fact that 5-stacks would be added to the game. We also knew that teams that would choose to play the game this way could expect smaller RR gains. However, we did not know the exact details, and we had no idea that the introduction of 5-stacks would eliminate the possibility of playing in a 4-stack team for all ranks.That's right, you won't be able to play a 4-stack ranked game in Valorant anymore. Riot explained that this is one way to reduce toxicity in the game:
These types of groups tend to leave the remaining solo queue player with a relatively poor play experience, and we believe that removing this option will result in a significant reduction of overall toxicity reports.
Okay, but what exactly does playing 5-stacks games entail? What do we give up for the privilege of playing a full team? Well, that depends on your rank.
5-Stacks In Diamond 2 And Below
- You can expect increased queue times as the system will only matchmake your team against another 5 stack of similar average MMR.
- Rank Rating gains and losses will be reduced when playing in a 5 stack outside of our current rank restrictions rules. The amount that your RR is adjusted depends on the rank disparity within the group.
5-Stacks In Diamond 3 And Above
- Your expected queue times may vary greatly, and could increase dramatically as you will wait indefinitely for another 5-stack of similar MMR to play against.
- At minimum, a 50% RR reduction will be applied to all 5-stacks including a member from these ranks, and this amount can increase to 90% as the disparity in skill increases.
5-Stacks When One Player Is Radiant
- Similar to Diamond 3+, you will wait indefinitely for another 5-stack of similar MMR to play against, potentially increasing your queue times drastically.
- At minimum, a 75% RR reduction will be applied to all 5-stacks including a member from these ranks. Playing with any player below Radiant automatically reduces your potential RR by 90%.
Are 5-Stacks Worth It?
Because of these considerable RR gain limitations, 5-stacks are not the best option to climb ranks. Playing with a full team doesn't give you practically any advantage, as you will end up playing against another 5-stack team anyway. It's a great option to play with friends, but still, probably at low ranks only. And that's probably exactly what Riot wanted, a 5-stack feature that would serve casual players but will not benefit that super competitive part of the player base. Apparently, game devs prefer our individual rank to be as close to our individual skills as possible.